What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

spell for you and your loved ones to keep these people from hurting you again.”

“Sounds great,” Sev said through a too-tight throat. “Let’s do it.”

* * * *

Laine was wound tighter than a spring. Work was slow, which was good, but the day was dragging by at a glacial speed. Slower, considering global warming. He was twitchy and jumpy, and snarly enough that Matt and Rich both snapped back at him.

Despite being a grouch, Laine figured the more the merrier—or more powerful, hopefully—and he readily agreed. He also called Zeke and Brendon as well as Lee and Darren and asked them to come as well.

Then he called Miriam, who thought he was brilliant for inviting the core people who were involved. “We’re going to be in five groups, one in each spot where an altar was found and one centered between all four points. That one will be the power source for the spell. Vincent GPS’d it and that will put us—you, Sev, Rogelio, me, Vincent, Veronica—she’s a curandera, you’ll meet her this evening—and three of our coven standing in the center of Main Street at midnight. Think that’ll be a problem?”

Laine had assured her he’d handle it if it was. He wouldn’t let anyone keep them from bringing back the spirits to McKinton.

Now he was stuck behind his desk, watching the minutes crawl by. He hoped this worked, and he hoped Conner came back. Maybe he should have been ashamed for being so selfish, but Laine couldn’t help it. He and Sev missed the guy.

But, if Conner didn’t return, he and Sev would deal with it, together, and they’d wish Conner a good life…or death, whichever it was he chose.

* * * *

At Alma’s insistence, Sev and Rogelio met up with her at the motel. Sev handed her his house key. “I want y’all to go wait there. There’s a guest room you and Roger can use, and the kids can camp out in the living room.”

Alma took the key but put a hand to his shoulder when he would have hugged her. Sev looked at her, a little hurt.

“I’m just nervous about this,” Alma admitted. “You have my baby with you—”

Rogelio groaned. Alma shot him a withering look. “You will always be my baby, so get over it.” She tipped her chin at her son. “Just take care of him, okay?”

“Of course,” Sev answered, stung she’d think he wouldn’t.

Alma sighed and pulled him in for that hug she’d denied him. “I don’t doubt you mean it. It’s that I don’t know about all this woo-woo stuff.”

“Moooommm,” Rogelio whined, making Sev’s ears ache. “Everyone’s going to be dressed. It’s not like they’re gonna be dancing around naked and sacrificing small children.” He leaned to the side and peered past her to his siblings sprawled on the bed. “Although…”

“Rogelio!” Alma let go of Sev and reached over to pop her son on the back of the head. “Any more jokes like that and you can just stay here with us!”

“Sorry,” Rogelio muttered as he rubbed his head. “Sheesh! That’s, like, child abuse!”

Alma’s eyebrows drew together, she frowned so sternly. “I didn’t break you and you’re not bleeding. That would be child abuse. Don’t tempt me, son.”

Sev was relieved when Rogelio only said, “Yes, ma’am.”

After saying goodbye, they went back outside and waited for Veronica to pick them up. Rogelio tapped his foot on the sidewalk and looked at Sev. “Why don’t you drive, Uncle Severo?”

It was a good question, and one he didn’t really have an answer to. He tried, though. “I don’t know. I never had driver’s ed. Grandma was afraid I’d be driving and have a spirit pop in my head and I’d wreck. I guess the idea stuck. And I liked not having the responsibility of a vehicle.”

Rogelio’s expression said Sev was nuts.

Sev shrugged and went on. “Maintenance, insurance, tags, all that stuff. I just didn’t want to deal with it. I…I used to go wherever I wanted, just hop on a bus and go, or wherever I got a consulting contract. Then I came here, met Laine, and bam! That was it. I knew where I belonged. And I—I guess I just didn’t think about getting my license. I’d never really needed it before.”

“And you don’t want to be hijacked by a spirit.”

“No, it doesn’t work like that. Grandma didn’t understand, and neither did I, really, but they don’t just slam into me and take over. It’s—there’s like a buzzing in my head, that’s all.”

Except Conner had nearly frozen Sev’s balls off when he’d first tried to really speak to him, then there’d been that whole thing with McAlister settling his nasty spirit in Rich.

“It’s complicated,” Sev settled on saying. “I don’t know if I should drive or not, so I won’t.”

“That sucks, dude.”

Veronica pulled up saving Sev from trying to think of a comeback. They loaded up in her car and headed back to Chris and Rich’s place to prepare for the spell casting.

* * * *

“I’ll meet y’all and everyone else at your place,” Laine told Rich. It was finally five o’clock and he was eager and scared both, but he wanted to get this spell thing done.

“Sounds like a plan.” Rich looked past Laine to Matt, who was right behind him. “You think you and Carlin will be long?”

“Nope. He’s here now. I’m just going to change out of my uniform real quick then we’ll be heading out there.”

Laine had a duffle bag with a change of clothes in it out in the truck. His boots were in the truck, too. “All right. Zeke, Brendon, Lee and Darren should be there by six. See y’all there.”

Laine left the Sheriff’s Department and was hard pressed not to speed all the way to Chris and Rich’s. He wished they could just do the whole deal as soon as everyone got there, but Miriam insisted midnight was the time for this. Her other suggestion had been three a.m. but Laine